DOHA: Al Wakra Hospital will be implementing a new fixed time appointment system for outpatients, which will ensure patients see the right doctor at the right time. The new system will also give priority to urgent or critical cases.
Under the new system, if a patient in Al Wakra is referred to see a specialist by their Primary Healthcare doctor, this referral will go straight to the Referral Management Office at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). There, a specialist will review the patient’s case and determine the level of urgency.
A hospital representative will then call the patient to arrange an appointment within the clinically advised timeframe and at a convenient time for the patient.
The Executive Director of the Center for Healthcare Improvement, Nasser Al Naimi, whose team has developed the new system, said that it is all about patient centred care.
“The new system is very beneficial to patients. It means they know they will see the right specialist to treat their condition, because their referral has been assessed by a doctor. It also saves the patient referred from Primary Healthcare from travelling to the hospital to fix their appointment, as our call centre team will phone them to arrange an appointment for the right time, based on clinical advice. Patients will also receive a reminder phone call about their appointments a few days before so they don’t forget,” Al Naimi explained.
This is part of the ongoing roll out of a fixed time appointment system across Hamad Medical Corporation. Hamad General Hospital, the Department of Dentistry, Women’s Hospital, Al Khor Hospital and the Maxillofacial Department all provide a fixed time appointment system for outpatients.
To ensure clinics run smoothly for the benefit of all patients, HMC has requested patients to respect their appointment times and arrive at least 15 minutes early, in case any pre-assessment is required. If they are unable to keep their appointment, they should call the Patient Contact Center ahead of time on 4439 5777 to reschedule the appointment at a time convenient for them. The Peninsula
